Lending Venezuela a helping hand

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GOSHEN, Ind.- A country battling hunger, malnutrition and more, Venezuelans in Michiana are coming together to host an event for Michiana families.

Funds from this event will go directly to the country. According to a 2017 World Report, infant and mortality rates in 2016 have surpassed those in previous years.

For the five months of 2016 the infant mortality rate was 18.61 deaths per 1,000, that’s 45 per cent higher than in 2013.

“There are kids dying of malnutrition and there are people in the streets eating from the garbage and that’s really sad,” says Maria Rojas, a volunteer and organizer. “So we need to help more people than just our families.”

Venzolanos in Michana, Caracas Bistro, River Oaks Community Church and many vendors are gathering to make a difference.

Part of the funds will be given to Venezuelan organizations and part will be given to the church to help victims of hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Rojas says it breaks her heart to read about what is happening in the country she grew up in.

A 2017 World Report states in 2015 civil society groups and two universities got together to conduct a survey.

87 per cent of the people interviewed said they had a hard time buying food; 12 per cent were eating two or less meals a day.

“There are a lot of people going away from Venezuela to other countries,” says Rojas. “We cannot leave our people alone. I think we cannot forget our people because we the only thing they have, so we need to keep going and do whatever we can to help.”

Some argue the Venezuelan government has downplayed the severity of the crisis, which has not helped out the people living there at all.